Formation

Column

Soul Talk

Finding Your Place in the Drama of Scripture

Most recent

Finding Your Place in the Drama of Scripture

Can a diverse collection of stories add up to one unified story (Footnote by John Ortberg)?

Aug 26, 2026·Jim Taylor

Eat This Book

Scripture is food before it is information.

Aug 12, 2026·Jim Taylor

Listening for the Heartbeat of God

Three guides into a spirituality of deep attention (Footnote by John Ortberg).

Aug 5, 2026·Jim Taylor

You Can’t Follow Jesus Alone

Why Christian maturity is a communal reality, not a private achievement.

Jul 16, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Most Important Pilgrimage Is Toward God

Why the transformation of the soul matters more than the miles (Footnotes by John Ortberg)

Jul 7, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Soul Talk Archive

The Role of Emotion in Spiritual Formation

Maybe the church's deepest failure isn't lack of truth, but failure to take the inner life seriously. (Footnotes by John Ortberg.)

Jun 22, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Crisis of Christian Imagination

Maybe the church's deepest failure isn't lack of truth — but failure to make truth imaginatively compelling. (Footnote by John Ortberg)

May 27, 2026·Jim Taylor

Fear Reframed: From Inner Struggle to Defiant Trust

Fear becomes fuel when surrendered instead of suppressed.Courage begins when fear is reordered under God.“Do not fear” reframes reality, not just emotion.

May 14, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Soul in the Age of Simulation

AI can assist Scripture—but cannot discern truth or Spirit. When innovation outruns wisdom, formation becomes collateral damage. Simulated souls force a haunting question: what is real spirituality?

Apr 28, 2026·Jim Taylor

Attending Through the Arts

The arts are instruments of formation that shape our attention and reorder our desires.

Apr 7, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Discipline of Awe

How scientific inquiry cultivates openness in a measurable world.

Apr 7, 2026·Jim Taylor

Life Turned Outward

Healthy community involves focus on God and mercy toward others.

Apr 6, 2026·Jim Taylor

The Rest Your Soul Is Asking For

There are many ways to rest and all who are burdened by labor can find their rest in Jesus.

Apr 6, 2026·Jim Taylor

Breaking the Liturgies of Self

Lent disrupts self-absorption and reorders the soul to form us for deeper loving communion with God.

Apr 6, 2026·Jim Taylor

Preparing for the New Creation

The Resurrection changes how we think about aging, the afterlife, and pastoral leadership.

Apr 6, 2026·Jim Taylor

More from Formation

Three Story-Telling Ministries

In the Field

Three Story-Telling Ministries

Bible stories come alive when we learn them, tell them, and act them out (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 26, 2026
Stories have the power to create identity, build community, and change minds

Recent Research

Stories have the power to create identity, build community, and change minds

Immersive narratives shape us, bind us to one another, and change what we do (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 26, 2026
Reading Scripture to Shape Your Soul

In the Field

Reading Scripture to Shape Your Soul

Three ministries that facilitate reading the Bible for formation—not just information (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 12, 2026
The Power of Four

Recent Research

The Power of Four

What changes when Scripture reading becomes a four-times-a-week habit (Footnotes by John Ortberg).

Aug 12, 2026
Everything You Need to Know About the Next Generation ft. Kara Powell | 009

Podcast

Everything You Need to Know About the Next Generation ft. Kara Powell | 009

Kara Powell's team surveyed 3,000 Gen Alpha teenagers and asked what they most want from an adult they trust. The answer: someone who will listen without judging.

Aug 5, 2026
Three Celtic Christian Ministries

In the Field

Three Celtic Christian Ministries

Celtic spirituality is lived out in ordinary life with a commitment to justice and soul friendship (Footnote by John Ortberg).

Aug 5, 2026